They were finally home. Sky had hired a security team and had some more external cameras installed. It had been a wake-up call for him. He could not let anything like that happen again. It had been too close. He shouldn’t have left Maeva alone. He was still feeling terribly guilty. The nurses were enthralled by him and he chatted with them, flirting a little. Where was his head, he wondered. What type of stupid kid was he? He was having trouble getting over his immature behavior. As soon as someone showed him how beautiful they thought he was, he forgot everything else. Fuck. It was wife and child he had placed at risk. What an ass he was. He would never forgive himself.

 

The police had been here. They asked for both their depositions. Maeva didn’t want to press charges, but Sky was adamant. He would not let this go. Maeva knew about Caroline but didn’t know what it was that caused so much animosity between her and Sky. Maeva had trouble sleeping since it happened. She didn’t leave Neve out of her sight. The baby had a beautifully decorated nursery, but Neve was always in their room, in a cot attached to their bed. That cot was on the side of the bed opposite the door of the room, as far as possible to any exits. Maeva would not even try to sleep if their bedroom and bathroom door locked. Sky had iron bars installed on the easy to reach windows.

 

Neve’s first year was not what they had both expected. Maeva was still not completely over the trauma. Sky had to leave on location for a few months, and he was concerned but had a contract to fulfill. He felt Maeva resented him for leaving but she didn’t express it. The unsaid words and feelings just hung in between them as unpicked flowers that were left to wilt. Sky was worried about her, but he didn’t stop himself to reflex about his own feelings of guilt and inadequacies. It had been his fault; his lack of attention, his narcissistic behavior, his past girlfriend. Caroline had been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping, although they were never sure of what her real intentions were. She didn’t contest the charge but said she was ill and was mandated to a treatment at a psychiatric facility.

 

They say time heals. It was true. Up to a point. When Neve was close to her first birthday, things were getting better. The tenderness between them had returned, although the profound intimacy they one felt was hard to for either of them to achieve. They made love as if they were drowning and that short time between them enabled them to get enough air to survive. Sky decided to take a year of filming. He had long awaited projects to look into. From those, a book Maeva had written that needed to be developed into a scenario. Sky thought that working together again might help the go over this bumpy patch.

 

Maeva was ecstatic when he told her he would take a year off. That meant he would be with them, as a family. She needed to get back to where they were before the hospital thing. She could not name it, could not say her name, could hardly even let her mind wonder to her without becoming anxious. She knew there was something not quite right with her. How could she not get over it? Why did everything remind her of it? Just looking at Neve awakened a certain fright or flight response on some days. She had consulted. They gave her anti anti-anxiety pills, said it was somewhat of a post partum depression that turned into PTSD. It didn’t make things easier. She could hide it better, that was all. She loved Sky with all her heart, was still passionately in love, enthralled with him. But when you always keep a part of you hidden, when too many words are unsaid, they build up into a barrier, almost like a wall that you build stone after stone. With time, the wall gets thicker and harder. It becomes almost impossible to break through without damaging yourself. So, you stay on your side of the wall, that you built, all alone. Just to survive.

 

Sky loved his wife. Even if she was distancing herself from him. Even if the spark in her eyes was gone. Sometimes, when he smiled at her from a distance, he could see the spark for a fraction of a second. He knew there was hope, but he had to be patient.  He was afraid that this change in their relationship would send him over the edge, that he would start binge drinking and that he would sleep around to try to regain some pleasure for a minute or two. He didn’t. He didn’t have any energy for anything else but work and his family. He felt himself growing old and grumpy. He became harder to work with during projects. Directors started to pass the words that he was in a rut. He got less offers. He could see what was happening, but he couldn’t car less. He spent every free minute of everyday, searching for ways to reignite the spark in her beautiful doe eyes. Tabloids were accusing Maeva of ruining Sky’s career. There was a lot of hate mail towards her. He never told her. Completely barred Jess from speaking to Maeva or anyone from even hinting of something amiss. He didn’t think she knew as she seemed better these days. He wasn’t worried that she fell out of love with him. He could feel it in her embrace, in her lovemaking. But he could also feel her drowning.

 

Neve was growing up happy. All her waking time was spent with her parents. Maeva was good with that. Whatever she felt, however she felt, she always all smiled for her child. When Sky was home, they would all take strolls together. Mostly, Neve was carried in a wrap carrier. Rarely was she in a stroller. They were the kind of parents who believed holding their baby was important. The trend was to have a baby in a detachable car seat, walking around with the baby still in that seat, then transferring it on top of a cart while shopping, or snapped in place in a stroller, without ever taking that baby out. Maeva found that appalling. The way to have maximal development of a baby’s brain is mainly touch. Using his five senses and his inborn skills to be in constant contact allow for development of the synapses in the brain. A baby is born with all its neurons. Growing will not add more neurones. From the time you are born, a human being can develop the most synapses possible or, let some neurones die. Interacting, touching, talking, caressing, massaging, holding, breastfeeding, smiling, playing and the list goes on, develops the synapses which are the connections between the neurones, the sparks that enables us to be smart. Maeva wanted to make sure this baby got to be as smart as nature had intended him to be.

 

As Maeva was getting better, she started to want to write again. She remembered she had to adapt her last book into a scenario. Sky had hinted to it recently. She knew it would be nice to work with him, and she decided to slowly start. At least to start thinking about a plan for the scenario. She ordered another playpen to have the baby sleep near her in the office. Once the playpen and her mind were set, she went for it. Surprisingly, she felt good, just like before. She was ready to write. She got into the habit of writing every morning during Neve’s nap. Sky was often training at the same time. She could hear the machines. The office, training room and all the upper rooms were in the attic with brick walls and wood beams up high. Sky sometimes took calls while he was training in between exercises or while he was taking a break. On day, she heard him in the kitchen where the door was right in front the office door. By the noise, she guessed he was having a protein shake. He then received a call. Maeva was busy writing and had no interest in listening in, but she could hear as well as if she was in the room with him.

 

“Hello Jess. OK, I’m listening...Not interested Jess. I told you, I am taking a break...I will let you know when I plan to come back...It is a very interesting offer, in fact, I would have jumped on it before. Not now...If they planned for next year, probably, but I would need an assurance they would not call for it before the date mentioned...I know but, no. I also promised my family. Some promises take priority over others...Yea. Yes. But no. No go.”

 

She heard him hang up. Maeva rarely heard him be so uncompromising. She closed her eyes thankful for his loyalty to her and Neve. She needed to hear this, to know this. She almost lost hope though everything that happened. Oh, how she loved him. How she wanted their relationship to be as before. How could she do that? She tried to put that aside so she could continue working. There would be time to reflect on Sky later. She worked a few hour s more and heard his phone again. This time, he was in the changing room, right besides the kitchen.

 

“Yeap. Oh, bloody hell! I can’t believe this. How are you mate?...Yea, I’m good, good. Yes, she is growing fast. She will be one year old soon...Humm…No, I didn’t hear anything. You know I don’t look at any media. No, No Facebook, Discord or X. Just in a long break and I feel great. Spending time with the fam...Oh, well. It doesn’t surprise me. Well, they should link this to Maeva...Do you really think it’s her? How could she? She should not access to social media...I’ll call my lawyer. I’ll be fine...No. No plans to go to LA. Oh, you are celebrating your 60th birthday? I can’t believe this. Do you really want everybody to know your age?”, Sky laughed out loud. His fake laugh.

​

“I will see about this with Maeva, but unless it is part of a holiday, I don’t see myself travelling right now. The Order? ...Well, I said I wasn’t sure. I am hesitant. I won’t be able to get involved and I still don’t really know what it entails. I am mostly in the UK unless I am on location. Just like you... Oh, really? ...There is a faction here? Downtown London? ... A building with owls on the top? ... Never noticed that... I will get back to you on that. I don’t have time to spare, you know?... OK. OK. I will let you know if we are going to LA. Bye.”

 

Maeva heard him hang up. There was no sound for awhile. Then she heard him take the stairs and go outside. She saw Neve stir in the playpen. For some reason, she slept really well when they were up here. Maeva usually had the tele playing with the sound just loud enough to hear but she always put on the subtitles. If she needed a break, she washed a little news or You Tube.  Neve was moving around. She now walked on all fours and stood up on her own, attempting a few steps here and there. She made sounds. They thought she said “mama” and “papa” a few times, but they were not sure. Both parents talked to her constantly and already were teaching her simple things, like leaves, trees and flowers and animals. The girl was now up on her two feet with her hands on the netting, smiling as she saw her mother. They went down. Yvonne had already made lunch. A hearty vegetable and beans soup with a crusty homemade whole wheat bread with home made honey butter.

 

“Oh, my girls are here”, said Yvonne. “Come here you, beautiful darling”, she said as she took Neve from Maeva and walked around with her. Maeva sat at her usual spot, served some veggie pieces beans and a buttered slice of bread for Neve. Yvonne was showing her some of the birds that were frolicking in the bird bath. Yvonne knew the food had to cool down. This was the three’s little mid-day routine. They were not waiting for Sky as he never finished his training routine at the same time. He only ate once he was done.

 

“Come eat Yvonne. Neve’s food should be cool enough.”. Maeva said.

 

“I swear this little pumpkin is trying to say ‘birdy’.”, she said so proud of the baby. She considered herself her grandma and asked the baby to call her “granny”. Maeva found them so sweet together. There was no possessiveness or jealousy from Maeva. The more people would love and take care of Neve, the better it was for the child.

 

“Did you see Mr. Sky?,” asked Yvonne putting the baby in the high chair. Neve started to eat as soon as she saw the food in front of her.

 

“He was training upstairs for awhile and then, I heard him go outside. He took a shake or two so I don’t think he will be back soon.”, Maeva served Yvonne some soup and then served herself. Yvonne was always embarrassed when Maeva served her. She took a piece of bread and buttered it to hide her embarrassment.

 

“Are you OK Nevie? Grannie’s soup is delicious, no?”, Maeva said to her daughter. The baby looked at her mom with a smile showing four little teeth. Yvonne and Maeve laughed at how cute she was.

 

“She is such a good eater, this one. Mr. Sky said he was also a good eater when he was a baby. Not fussy at all.”, Yvonne said eating away.

 

“Where are the dogs?”, asked Maeva. She could not see them nor hear them.

 

“I don’t know. I assumed Victor or Mr. Sky took them for a walk.”, Yvonne looked behind her outside of the French doors. Maeva hadn’t taken care much for the dogs since the baby’s birth. She knew they were well taken care of.

 

“You look beautiful this morning Mrs. Maeva. Actually, you are always beautiful, but you look bright and rested today.”, said Yvonne kindly. Maeva understood that she had not really been herself for awhile. It was true that she felt better.

 

“Thank you, Yvonne. I do feel good. I think it’s this delicious food you are feeding us.” She added. Dogo was suddenly at the door looking at them. Then the other two also appeared, all had their noses pressed on the newly cleaned windows.

 

“Oh, I don’t know why I bother washing those windows.”, she sent half upset, half laughing. Maeva lifted her shoulders.

 

‘There is nothing much we can do, unless we put a gate there also.”, Maeva said. She was wondering if it was Sky that came back with the dogs.

 

Maeva was playing with Neve on the living room floor when Sky came in sweaty and wet.

​

​

“Hey Babe, a quick shower and I’ll be with you. Hello Darling.”, he said disappearing in the bedroom.

 

Neve was getting tired when Sky came to sit on the floor with them. He looked at Maeva.

 

“You’re beautiful my love.”, he said advancing forward to kiss her. He smiled, Maeva smiled and they both gave their attention to Neve for awhile. The older the baby got, the more she looked like her dad. The blue eyes were the most striking, although the shape of them was like Maeva’s. Neve was rubbing her eyes, still smiling and happy with all the attention. Maeva and Sky looked at each other.

 

“I miss you.”, he said, smiling sadly.

 

“I know, I also miss you.”, she said getting up. “I’m going to put her to sleep. Are coming?”, she asked hopeful. He nodded and followed her, picking up the baby. Maeva laid down and Sky gave her Neve. The baby put herself in a lying down position near her mom, right away. Maeva opened up her buttoned-down shirt and aligned the baby to her breast. Sky laid down near them and took in this incredible picture. Such beauty. Such tenderness and yet, an act so simple and natural. He didn’t know about breastfeeding before meeting Maeva. His mother, sister and sister-in-law never brought the subject up. He remembered seeing bottles around, but never a woman breastfeeding her baby. Now, he understood that the only food made for babies was breastmilk, that it was alive and adapted to their age and the environment they lived in. Neve had never been sick. What he found out was that as soon as Meave or Neve herself, encountered a virus or a bacteria, Maeva developed the antibodies and Neve received them through her breastmilk. He found this so amazing. He had stayed with Maeva when she breastfed Neve in the early days, but for some reason, he thought it was lost time, that he could do things he needed to do while they were busy. He thought like most men, it was a woman’s thing. He felt useless. He couldn’t feed his daughter. He felt put aside, as if the act was a sacred act only women could do. Now, watching them, he realized how sensual and calming it was. Looking at his wife, he was reminded why he loved her and why he was so attracted to her. Neve let go of her mother’s breast. Maeva passed over the baby to come near him and pulled the sheet she had placed under Neve until she was in her cot, next to the bed. The cot was safely attached so she was safe and comfortable, while they had the use of the whole king-size bed. Her breasts were still exposed, sticking out of the shirt. They were wet from the leaking milk. He licked them. He was pleasantly surprised at the sweet taste. Maeva moaned and pulled herself higher, burying her face in his hear. Sky started to suck on one of her nipples and he received a strong stream of milk. He recoiled as he hadn’t expected it. Maeva laughed and he went back for more, tried the other side. Same thing happened. He stopped.

 

“Is this OK? Am I taking milk from the baby? And what about my mouth on your breasts? Will she catch anything from me?”, he asked his eyes worried.

 

“Don’t worry my love. Go on, it feels so good. The is no problem at all. I love you so much. I have missed this, us, like this.”, she slid down and started kissing him, hard. He had no trouble reciprocating. His hands pulled her shirt away and he pulled down her jeans and slid his hand in her panties searched in her vulva, felt the wetness in her vagina, wrapped his fingers of her wetness and spread it all over her vulva. He took some of the wetness on his two middle fingers and started to slowly and very softly making little circles on her clitoris. When he felt his fingers getting dry, he went back into her vagina to wet them and continued stimulating her, playing around with his fingers, going in and out of her vagina, at times and going back to her clitoris at other times, always softy and slowly with the pads of his fingers, making sure his nails didn’t bit into the soft tissue. When he went in her vagina, he circled around, feeling the ridges that gave him so much pleasure when he entered her with his penis. He slowly rubbed them and moved around under she groaned of pleasure. He knew he succeeded in finding her “G” spot. He knew it was somewhere in there, maybe halfway to the end of her vagina, near her cervix. Once he found it, he went back to it as soon as he felt she was excited enough. Once she came, he stopped, he didn’t continue stimulating her as he knew it became unpleasant for her. He was surprised to find his chest wet. Very wet with breastmilk. Then he started to kiss her, caressing and licking her body all over. Maeva pushed him on his back and straddle him, rubbing her vulva on his erect penis. He was hard and he felt huge. He looked down and saw the hand of his penis sticking out in between the lips of her vulva. He could see the pre-cum coming out from the slit in his penis. He looked at her body moving forward and backwards in a rocking motion. Her milk-filled breasts were so big and sexy with their huge red areolas wet with milk. She bent down to kiss him, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. With a swift movement of his hips and legs, he entered her. They both gasped. He stopped moving abruptly. He was on the verge of coming. He wanted this to last longer. He waited a little, trying to let his mind wander to something else less exciting. She also remained quiet, didn’t move. After a minute or so. She looked him, smiled and mouthed “Fuck me”. That was it. He started the motions and he exploded with her, pulling her onto him and wrapping his arms around her as he shook while she came. She stayed inert, her head on his chest. She felt his heart beating hard, slowing down little by little. She drew in the air coming from his chest. His smell was inebriating. She felt so good with his arms around her. After a little while, his heart was beating regularly. She could also hear Neve breathing and making little sucking sound.

 

Life was back to normal.